Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41312454›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in medicine2025

Characteristics of pediatric e-referrals through SMARC system: a two-year national analysis.

Abdullah A Alharbi, Mohammed A Muaddi, Meshary S Binhotan, Ahmad Y Alqassim, Ali K Alsultan, Mohammed S Arafat, Abdulrahman Aldhabib, Yasser A Alaska, Eid B Alwahbi, Hussain A Moafa and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Abdullah A AlharbiDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed A MuaddiDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Meshary S BinhotanEmergency Medical Services Department, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmad Y AlqassimDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Ali K AlsultanMedical Referrals Centre, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed S ArafatMedical Referrals Centre, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulrahman AldhabibMedical Referrals Centre, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Yasser A AlaskaDepartment of Emergency Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Eid B AlwahbiMedical Referrals Centre, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Hussain A MoafaDepartment of Pediatric, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Gassem GohalDepartment of Pediatric, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed K AlabdulaaliMinistry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Nawfal A AljerianDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Electronic referral (e-referral) systems are increasingly vital for coordinating pediatric healthcare services, yet comprehensive analyses of nationwide implementation remain limited. This study examines patterns, outcomes, and system performance of pediatric e-referrals across Saudi Arabia's healthcare network. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all pediatric e-referrals ( Results: Male patients represented 54.19% of e-referrals. We found a predominance of routine outpatient referrals (56.98%), with urgent and lifesaving cases comprising 32.41%. The overall acceptance rate was 91.52%, with 100% acceptance for lifesaving cases. Internal referrals constituted 82.85% of cases. General Pediatric Care (31.61%) accounted for most e-referral followed by Pediatric Cardiology (12.12%), Neurological Diseases (11.79%) and Neonatal Care (11.21%). Temporal analysis revealed an increase in overall referrals from 2023 (48.74%) to 2024 (51.26%). Conclusion: This first comprehensive analysis of Saudi Arabia's pediatric e-referral system demonstrates successful implementation of a coordinated care network with high acceptance rates and effective regional self-sufficiency. The findings provide valuable insights into healthcare planning and resource allocation. These findings offer transferable insights for international healthcare systems implementing pediatric e-referral platforms and digital health initiatives.

Indexed as

digital healthelectronic referralhealthcare coordinationhealthcare systemspediatric healthcareSaudi Arabia

Identifiers

PMID41312454
PMCPMC12647054

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.